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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · sharp · bay · deal · arm · game · spring · dip

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. That was a fun ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spring — of water
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. spring — a coil
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spring — the season
  9. sharp — clever
  10. last — finally
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — to handle
  21. last — to go on
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. last — final
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com